President’s message
See below for the history of our pendant
Welcome to SI London Mayfair!
Established in 1942, SI London Mayfair is the youngest of the three central London clubs; it has a current membership of 25, of varying ages, with the emphasis on a membership of women who are active in their field. Our members’ professional activities are in a variety of areas, including the arts, health, law, business, banking & education.
We meet at the Residential Club at 63 Bayswater Road (’No. 63’). As we are centrally based, we welcome at our meetings Soroptimists visiting from abroad &, for longer periods, Soroptimists whose business or training bring them to London; our most recent visitor for 6 months was from the club in Ulaan Baator, Mongolia.
See our club diary page for times, dates and descriptions of meetings. Contact details are also given on the Contact Us page.
SI London Mayfair’s pendant to the Presidential Chain
Like a few other Soroptimist pendants & circular badges, this shield -shaped enamel mounted in silver was made by Ernestine Mills 1871-1959.
SILM’s pendant shows a branched tree rooted in green ground against a brilliant blue background. Across, & between the branches, is a scroll with PRESIDENT, & below a folded one
MAYFAIR LONDON
SOROPTIMIST
Immediately under SOROPTIMIST is 1942, 19 to the left of the tree trunk & 42 to the right.
Across the grass is inscribed in white
ALPHA
1928
We understand SI London Mayfair was formed in the middle of World War 2 out of the rump of an Alpha club.
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Ernestine Mills (nee Bell) studied at the Slade School & the Royal College of Art under Alexander Fisher. Enamelling was one of the most important techniques to be revived by Arts & Crafts designers. After its revival by designers like Pugin in the mid 19th century, it became typical of Arts & Crafts pieces. The main instigator of this was Alexander Fisher 1864-1936, who first exhibited at the Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society in 1893; he taught professional jewellers as well as amateurs.
Ernestine Mills was a member of the Society of Women Artists (established in 1865), & played an active role in the Women’s Suffrage Campaign for the granting of votes for women in the early years of the 20th century; for some of their members she made small circular badges in the suffragette colours. Various churches, hospitals & institutions have memorial tablets enamelled by her to those who fell in the two World Wars.